How are FTO and Fruchtbarkeit related?

The relationship between FTO and fertility is not well-established. FTO is strongly associated with obesity risk (via BMI), and obesity is a known factor that can impair fertility in both women (e.g., ovulatory dysfunction) and men (e.g., reduced sperm quality). However, direct genetic links between FTO variants and fertility independent of BMI are unclear. Most evidence is mechanistic or observational; no robust human studies confirm that FTO SNPs directly cause infertility. Consumer DNA tests often overstate such connections. Lifestyle interventions (diet, exercise) that reduce obesity are far more impactful on fertility than any single gene variant. Therefore, while FTO may indirectly influence fertility through body weight, it is not a clinically useful marker for fertility assessment.